Bearings should always be properly stored, mounted, adequately lubricated when and where required, monitored, dismounted, and ultimately inspected to uncover root causes of any damage. These steps have a huge impact on its performance. Proper maintenance and handling ways will lengthen bearing life, minimized downtime, and greater productivity, which ultimately leads to cost savings and lower cost of ownership for your business. The listed ways for bearing maintenance can be referenced.

1.Know Bearing’s Failure

An important part of understanding how to avoid problems is to know why it occurs. Bearings can fail for many reasons and we listed some typical ones as follows for reference:

An incorrect installation, which can result from improper seating of the bearing relative to the shaft or housing, or not following mounting guidelines.

Misalignment of the bearing or shaft, which can cause damaging vibrations and friction.

Inadequate or damaged seals, which will cause contamination, such as solid contamination, liquid contamination etc.  

Dirty, improper, or insufficient lubricants will cause spalling on the raceway surface and cone back face rib.

Vibration passing from other parts of the equipment to the bearing, which will result in corrugated fretting along full circumference of raceway.

Excessive load will cause spalling on rib. 

2.Tips for Bearing Storage

Bearings are delicate enough to get damaged quickly. As such, it is very important that they are stored horizontally in a clean and dry environment with their packaging intact. Cleanliness is critical. All bearings should be kept clean because contamination and corrosion will shorten the life of any bearing, even a tiny speck of dirt can cause premature failure. The most important thing to remember is to never remove bearings from their packaging until ready for use.

3.Inspect the bearing housing and shaft

Whenever a bearing is used for mounting, it is crucial that the housing and shaft are inspected for any sort of physical condition or damage. Always use a soft cloth to wipe the surfaces clean and make sure any nicks and burrs are removed.

4. Mount the bearings correctly

The method used to mount the bearings depends on the type of bearing. For example, bearings with cylindrical bores are generally mounted through a press fit method. Bearings with tapered bores can be mounted directly on tapered or cylindrical shafts with the use of tapered sleeves. However, pressure should be applied only with a press fit because without it the raceways can become damaged.

5. Avoid preheating or overheating

The maximum heating allowed on the bearings depends on the heat treatment of the material. If they are heated above the permitted limit, they can permanently deform or soften the bearing steel, lowering load carrying capacity and resulting in a failure. Always heat the bearings using induction heaters, and never with an open flame.

6. Avoid corrosion

It is crucial that you should not expose bearings to the presence of water for a long time, as it will lead to rust and corrosion. It will also cause the premature failure of the bearings, which can affect the machine performance and productivity. As a result, it will increase your operating costs. Also, make sure to wear gloves when handling bearings. Perspiration can also lead to rust and corrosion.

7. Proper lubrication

Choose the correct type of grease to deliver the necessary base oil viscosity in the proper amount at the prevailing operating temperature. Half of all bearing failures attributed to poor lubrication are caused by selection of an inadequate grease type for the operating conditions or to mixing incompatible greases with different properties. 

Keep an eye on how the lubricant is performing over time. The lubricant in a bearing arrangement gradually will lose its lubricating properties due to mechanical work, aging, or the buildup of contamination.

Replenish or renew grease at regular intervals to help maximize bearing service life.